


It's The Thought That Counts

by darkforetold



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-24
Updated: 2011-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 22:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkforetold/pseuds/darkforetold
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Christmas Story... Dean is the best brother in the world. Sam's a jerk and Cas is.. well, Cas. Dean wouldn't have it any other way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's The Thought That Counts

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation from [A Team Free Will Thanksgiving](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1061064).

Dean grinned while fishing through his duffel bag, pulling out Sam’s Christmas present with both hands. It was heavy, thin and rectangular. Dean had even wrapped it. Badly, but still wrapped it. The red bow was lop-sided and the wrapping paper was oddly bent and sticking out at the ends. And tape.. there was _a lot_ of tape. Considering Dean’s lack of skills in wrapping presents, it looked pretty damn good.

Turning, he walked to the beds in their shitty motel room and sat down on one of them. Sam on the other.

“I don’t know if you deserve it, though. You’ve been kind of a—“

“Just give me the damn thing,” Sam said excitedly while snatching the present from his hand.

His brother was like a typical kid on Christmas day; all wide-eyed and grinning. It brought Dean back to the better Christmases they had had. Just him and Sam. No one else. Staying up late, watching kung-fu or horror movies and eating everything they could. All the usual stuff kids shouldn’t eat late at night. Sugary things that kept them up all hours of the night, talking, wishing for a better life, whatever. Those were the days.

“Is this what I think it is?”

Sam looked at him like Dean was the best brother in the world. And it was about damn time he finally realized it. Dean felt good. Happy. Sure, they were in another shitty motel, relaxing after having finished yet another job in some back water town. But watching his brother, wide grin on his face and ripping open his Christmas present.. one of the best feelings in the world.

Sam tossed away the wrapping paper and bow and opened the box. His face fell immediately. He looked.. touched. Like he was about to break down into one of his typical chick flick moments. Maybe even hug him.

“Wow, Dean.. Just.. wow.”

Sam took out the laptop and ran a hand over its smooth, black surface. After a moment of silence, Sam looked up at him. He could barely talk at all. And when he finally gathered his composure..

“Dean, this is..”

“Yeah, well,” Dean shrugged. “After I spilled coffee over the last one and.. you know. All the—” He made a close-fisted jerk off motion, “—I did with it, I thought you could use a new one.”

Sam’s mouth fell open. “You jerked off while using my laptop?”

“Well, _yeah_. It was there.. I was there. Right time, right place. Match made in Heaven.” Dean winked.

“ _Oh_.. my God.”

One of Sam’s patented bitch faces came out in full force and Dean couldn’t keep it up anymore. He burst into laughter. It was gut-deep and the kind of laugh that made him feel even better.

“You’re _such_ a dick.”

His laugh died down into a snicker or two. Somewhere between Sam sighing in disgust and Dean snorting, the sound of flapping wings filled the small motel room. Dean barely registered the mattress sinking a little bit, like someone had sat beside him. It wasn’t until he heard—

“Hello, Dean.”

“Hey, Cas,” Sam greeted.

—that Dean realized Cas had appeared out of nowhere as usual. His stomach did one of those flip-floppy things and his heart sped up really fast, just like always when Cas was around. Dean sobered up damn near immediately.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean cleared his throat. “You just missed Sam getting his present.”

Sam held it up like he was Vanna White, showing it off proudly.

“That’s nice,” Cas remarked.

“You’re just in time for Sam to give me mine,” Dean announced excitedly, rubbing his hands together. He loved presents.

Sam’s face fell again. This time, it kinda looked.. guilty.

“I uh—didn’t get you one, Dean.”

Dean’s stomach dropped. “What?”

“I didn’t have time, dude, with the job and all.”

“That’s bullshit! I did most of the work and I was somehow able to get you a present.”

“Sorry.”

Dean folded his arms over his chest. “Way to ruin my Christmas, you ass.”

“Dean—“

Dean huffed and turned his face away. Yeah, he was pouting. Christmas with no presents sucked.

Obviously, Sam was ignoring him. “Okay, your turn, Cas.”

With Cas, there was no anticipation. No frilly packages with bows and wrapping paper. He just.. held out two enclosed fists, directed toward each of them. Dean reached forward with an opened hand and waited. When Cas opened his fingers, a piece of gold plopped out into Dean’s hand. He looked at it and then looked at Sam’s gift.

“Frankincense and Myrrh.. uh—thanks, Cas.”

Cas looked proud of himself. Well, as much as the stoic angel let on.

“You’re welcome, Sam.”

“Yeah, thanks, Cas.” Jealous, Dean frowned, looking over at Sam’s gifts. “Why did he get two?”

Sam glared at him. “Dude, it's about giving, not receiving.”

“Yeah, says the asshole who didn't get his brother a gift.”

Sam rolled his eyes.

The mood suddenly changed. It was subtle. Like the temperature shift in a room in the presence of a ghost, or the uncomfortable burden of a witness’ lie. Beside him, Cas lowered his eyes suddenly and Sam seemed.. overly excited. Dean narrowed his eyes. His brother was obviously up to something.

“Cas, give him the other one..” Sam ordered.

With a heavy sigh, Cas dipped his hand into one of the pockets of his trench coat and pulled out a small, wrapped gift. Cas gave it to him with a small smile and looked away. Dean noticed the present was rather.. impressively wrapped. Something was fishy about all of this.

“Cas, did you wrap this..?”

“No.” Cas looked at Sam.

Dean did too. Sam tried to play it off with a shrug. Reluctantly, Dean started unwrapping it, keeping an eye on his mischievous brother.

“It was Sam’s idea,” Cas added quickly.

“Cas! Come on, man. It was totally your idea..”

“It's a sin to lie, Sam.”

Dean caught Sam flashing Cas a glare; a type of look that told Cas to be quiet. With a frown, Dean opened the small package and pulled out.. mistletoe. Immediately, Dean felt his face grow hot. Really hot. Ever since Thanksgiving, when he and Cas had finally kissed, Sam wouldn’t shut up about it. Other than that kiss, he and Cas hadn’t had a chance to spend more.. time together. That kiss had been the only one they had shared.

"Sam, I'm going to kick your ass."

Sam flashed him a grin and a thumbs up. It was Dean’s turn to roll his eyes. Payback was going to be a bitch.

“So, Cas..” Sam started, ignoring Dean’s glare. The mood had turned somber. “We didn’t know what to get you for Christmas..”

“Yeah.. Angel and all,” Dean commented. What could an angel possibly want for Christmas?

“Do you know what you want? It can be anyth—“

“A hug.. would be nice, “ Cas answered sheepishly.

Sam and Dean traded confused looks.

“A hug?” Sam asked.

“Yes. I have wanted one for a while, ever since—”

“You denied him one, Sam,” Dean cut in with a little more malice than he had intended.

Sam was the first one to give Cas his hug. It was.. kinda funny watching his sasquatch of a brother wrap his huge arms around the much smaller angel’s shoulders. Dean snickered a little bit. When Sam pulled away, both of them looked in his direction expectedly. Dean stopped laughing.

“Your turn, Dean,” Sam said.

Dean looked at Cas. Their eyes met and Cas seemed a little bashful if that was possible. Licking his lips, Dean inched a little closer, drawing Cas in for a hug. It was a mutual embrace, close and deep; one that seemed to last forever. Dean savored the warmth of their bodies together, the smell of Cas’ skin.. clean, heavenly. The way his dark hair tickled his nose. Cas had buried his face into his shoulder and Dean couldn’t help but lean into that, closing his eyes. For a moment, they were the only two people in the world.

When they pulled apart, Dean noticed that his asshole brother was standing close to them. Too close. Like he was holding something—Sam was grinning when Dean looked up, noting the mistletoe in his hand. The mistletoe that he dangled over their heads. Dean couldn’t even react before Cas cupped his face, pulling him in for a kiss. With a squeal, Dean almost flinched back in surprise but soon gave in, kissing him back. Cas’ lips were warm and full, accepting and giving at the same time. The kiss lasted a little longer than Dean was comfortable with. Sam was still standing _right there_.

Dean pulled away, face hot as hell again. When he looked at Sam, keys were dangling in front of his face.

“Your Christmas present. A key to your own room. So you and Cas can… you know.”

_Goddammit._

“Why would we need our own room?” Cas asked, confused.

Dean sighed. Yeah, he’d definitely need to kill his brother later.

The mistletoe had found a perfect spot that Christmas; fixed to the headboard of the bed in Dean and Cas’ motel room. To this day, Cas thought that the mistletoe was the best idea Sam had ever had. And it was one of the best Christmas gift Dean had ever gotten.


End file.
